The crowd was filled with envy and awe.
Especially Gui Lan, who stood not far from Gui Yiyi. His face turned green and pale, an ugly sight to behold.In terms of talent and strength, he had always been considered superior to Gui Yiyi.Yet now, it was not him but her who was chosen to enter the Profound Sword Sect — and by none other than the strongest Elder, Xuan Yi!
Gui Lan clenched his fists tightly, his heart full of unwillingness and confusion.Today had already dealt him blow after blow, and now this humiliation was the final nail.
On the other side, the other younger members of the Gui family were different.Their faces were brimming with excitement and gratitude.From the very start, they had little hope for themselves. Whether Gui Lan or Gui Yiyi got selected didn't matter. What mattered was that someone from their Gui family entered the Profound Sword Sect.
And now, Gui Yiyi had not only entered, but she had been taken as a personal disciple by Elder Xuan Yi — the most powerful elder, second only to the sect masters themselves!
This meant the Duan family's revenge and even the Witherwood Gate's threat were no longer a concern.What was a mere eighth-level Soul Condensation cultivator in the face of a Nascent Soul expert?
Not to mention, with Elder Xuan Yi's support, the Gui family's status was bound to soar!
The Gui family's Second Elder was so excited that his hands trembled.He had originally pinned his hopes on Gui Lan, but the heavens had played a different tune.It was Gui Yiyi who had seized this opportunity, and it was an opportunity far greater than anyone could have imagined.
The Second Elder could already picture the stunned expressions of the Gui family members back in Half Moon City when they heard the news.A new era for the Gui family was about to begin!
Yet while the Gui family celebrated, Wang Fei stood there like a statue, pale as death.His mind was blank, and his heart was filled with despair.
The situation was so absurd that he couldn't even process it — it was supposed to be his moment!
He had entered the Profound Sword Sect with great difficulty, relying on an old favor owed to his family by Elder Mu.He had even used this connection to threaten and mock Gui Yiyi and Gui Lan earlier.
And now?
He wasn't even worth a passing glance.
A heavy silence descended as Elder Xuan Yi turned his cold gaze towards Wang Fei.With a voice like a thunderclap, he announced:
"Scram. Your quota has been canceled. A person like you is not worthy of becoming a disciple of my Profound Sword Sect."
As soon as Xuan Yi finished speaking, he no longer spared Wang Fei a glance.His words were like a hammer, completely shattering Wang Fei's hopes.
The powerful oppressive force from Xuan Yi's aura instantly made Wang Fei collapse like a dead dog on the ground, his eyes hollow and lost.
The Wang Family's elder who had escorted him did not dare to utter a single word.He hurriedly rushed forward, dragging the defeated Wang Fei away from the square like a piece of trash.
Cold sweat drenched the elder's back.Even though the oppression wasn't directed at him, just standing near Elder Xuan Yi made his body feel heavy and suffocating.
Only after Elder Xuan Yi fully withdrew his pressure did the elder dare to breathe properly again.
Meanwhile, Xuan Yi swept his gaze toward another elder nearby — Elder Mu, who had facilitated Wang Fei's entry.
"Elder Mu, in the future, be more careful. Don't bring trash into the Profound Sword Sect," Xuan Yi said, his voice indifferent but carrying an irrefutable weight.
Elder Mu's face went pale. He bowed respectfully, hurriedly replying:
"Elder Xuan, please rest assured. This sort of thing will not happen again."
Inside, Elder Mu was filled with resentment.That ungrateful brat had almost dragged him into a disaster!
The favor that the Wang Family had owed him was completely wasted, and now he had been publicly reprimanded by Elder Xuan Yi.The humiliation would take a long time to wash away.
Within the Profound Sword Sect, while there were many elders, none dared to compare themselves to Xuan Yi.He was an exception — an elder whose strength and status were equivalent to a vice-sect master.
Thus, even other elders like Elder Mu had no choice but to silently accept their rebuke.
After dealing with the matter cleanly, Xuan Yi turned toward Gui Yiyi.
"Two hours later, come to the Black Tortoise Peak and find me," he instructed calmly.
Then, facing Sect Master Jian Nantian and the other elders, Xuan Yi nodded slightly and said:
"Sect Master, Elders, I'll be leaving first."
Without waiting for a response, Xuan Yi stepped away and disappeared, heading toward his Black Tortoise Peak.
The entire square remained silent even after his figure vanished.
Even the Sect Master Jian Nantian and the Vice Sect Masters exchanged helpless glances.No one tried to stop Xuan Yi or rebuke his abrupt departure — they were already used to his eccentric ways.
In fact, this was not the first time Xuan Yi had acted so unpredictably during a recruitment ceremony.
The crowd could still remember: in previous ceremonies, Xuan Yi never chose the ones with the highest talent or the flashiest potential.He would instead pick those who seemed ordinary or even weak compared to others.
Lin Zhiyin, Wang Hu… and now Gui Yiyi.
Each time, it seemed like a baffling choice to the onlookers.Gui Yiyi, in particular, had ranked near the bottom among tens of thousands. Yet she had been chosen by the strongest elder!
It was something most people could not understand.But no one dared to question it aloud.
If Elder Xuan saw something in Gui Yiyi, it was enough.No one else had the qualifications to judge.
As Xuan Yi's figure disappeared completely, the disciple selection ceremony gradually resumed its flow.
The remaining higher-ups of the Profound Sword Sect began carefully selecting disciples from among the thousand who had passed.
Not long after:
Yang Hong was chosen as a personal disciple by Vice Sect Master Ye, one of the two Vice Sect Masters.
Bai Qingwu was selected by the other Vice Sect Master, Vice Sect Master Yang.
Meanwhile, Sect Master Jian Nantian, as in previous years, did not personally accept a disciple in this ceremony.
By the time the sun dipped low into the horizon, the grand disciple recruitment ceremony of the Profound Sword Sect had come to a close.